Team SL:E (ON HOLD)
by ffxsuinyanYT
Summary: Stand up, my Vanguard! Follow Himeko Tokura, Misaki's cousin and Shin's other niece, as she unravels her share of the Cardfight! Vanguard story. Just how good is she at Vanguard? Who are Team SL:E? Himeko has PSY Qualia! (Warning: OCs and deck/clan switching throughout the story. Slow Romance.) Now, ride the Vanguard!
1. Ride 1

_**Stand up, my Vanguard!**_

* * *

 **Author's Corner!**

 **I like watching the show, but... I've never actually played the game. I understand it and all, but I won't fully comprehend the mechanics of the game until I've played it myself ; - ; anyway, here! Enjoy ~**

 **R &R ~ Read On! P.S I'm writing Psyqualia as PSY Qualia.**

* * *

 **Legend: ' ' are thoughts, " " are characters speaking, *bold* are actions done by characters/sfx/Vanguard units, italics represent past events/memories/text/mail/emphasis/Vanguard terms, and bold italics time skips.**

 **WARNING: May contain OOC, various point-of-view, and possible lemons!**

* * *

 **Ride 1 : Vanguard of Destiny!**

* * *

"Pitiful **Nehalem**. You can't stop the attacks of my **Juggernaut Maximum** forever, y'know."

"Hn, you really think so?"

The two were in the midst of a...somewhat...heated battle.

"That got you."

"You've got nothing. You never stood a chance against me." "Say what?"

"I'm gonna ride up to the next grade, right now. Now, ride the Vanguard! Descend, **Dragonic Overlord**!"

"Agh, impossible..."

* * *

I leaned on the counter, watching the cardfight end between Katsumi Morikawa and Toshiki Kai, students from Hitsue. Misaki, my cousin, sat behind the counter, reading a book. I, on the other hand, was snacking on a cherry lollipop as I looked at my untouched deck.

'I wonder how long it's been since I last played...'

"Hm, we're finished here," I hear Kai say as he gets up from the table. I put away my deck and take out my tarot cards.

"I can't believe you beat my **Juggernaut Maximum**. What's with your luck, huh?" Morikawa asks. "My luck?"

'That was a dumb question...' I thought, Kai walking away from the table.

"How dare he..." "You okay?"

I pulled out a card from the tarot deck and flipped it over. " _Death Upright_...a new beginning, huh?" I muttered. "You say something, Himeko?" Misaki asks me from behind the counter. I look over my shoulder to look at her before looking towards Kai, who was walking towards the door. "No, it's nothing."

"Winning matches as usual, huh, Kai?" "Hm? Miwa," he says, looking up at his friend. "Have you even lost a game since you moved back here?" Miwa asks him. "No, not yet."

"Nice~ Hey there! Are any of your regulars better at Vanguard than this guy?" he asks us. We give him a blank look, Misaki answering for the both of us, "Don't know. Or care."

"That settles it. If they can't decide, then I'll be the one," he puts a hand on Kai's chest and continues, "Kai's the best!"

"Hey, man! He's not _that_ great! I almost had him!" Morikawa yells. Kai, not caring, leaves the store and Miwa behind. "Nice try, loser~"

I coughed a bit sarcastically- if that's even a thing, making Miwa turn to look at me. "Hm? _Ah!_ H-Himeko! What are you doing here? Ahaha...ha..." Rolling my eyes, I reply, "This is _my family's shop_ , dummy. And I _work here_."

"O-Oh, right...uh..." he trails off. "If you're going to ask if I've played against Kai, the answer's no. I haven't," I tell him, turning to lean on the counter again. I propped an arm onto it, leaning on my palm as I held Death between my forefinger and middle finger while twirling it boredly between them. "Is that so? It'd be quite the fight, y'know. _Kai versus Himeko!_ The fight between Card Capital's top two players!" I scoffed, smiling a bit at his antics. "Yeah, right."

I stop twirling the tarot card, looking at the card as it was held between my fingers.

' _Death Upright_... A new beginning awaits'

* * *

 _ **The Next Day**_

I was leaning on the counter...again. Even though Shin, our uncle, told me not to. Well, what else am I supposed to do? Sit at the tables and obstruct customers from using them?

"Hey, don't you think you should change?"

I turn around, no longer leaning against the counter. "Huh?"

"What I meant to say was, you should go put on your "uniform"," she says, pointing to the shop apron she's wearing. "There's more in the closet, so go put one on," which I can translate to its true meaning: _I look stupid wearing this so go put one on._

Sighing, I make my way to the closet and put on one of the many extras over my sailor uniform.

"Yup... definitely an apron."

* * *

"I challenge!" I heard as I walked out of the supply closet. "Huh? You're no challenge."

I groaned a bit as I walked towards the counter, leaning on it again. What? It's better than just standing there. "You talk like a big shot, but I want a rematch to decide who's best in the shop. One and for all," Morikawa tells him.

'Great, this again.'

Miwa snickered as Kai gave Morikawa his answer. "No thanks."

"What?"

"You're not very good at this game. You lack foresight and your strategy is pretty weak. All you care about is brute force. Playing _you_ again would just be a waste of my time, so why bother," Kai deadpans.

"Dude, that's harsh," Miwa comments. "Totally," I agree, popping a lollipop into my mouth.

"Argh, you won't get anything out of it, huh?! Well then, if you beat me, you can have this card!" he declares, taking out a copy of... **Blaster Blade**?! I pull out the lollipop from my mouth and look at the card in disbelief. 'But that's a _rare_ card! Probably the only one I've seen in years!'

"Oh, wow! That's **Blaster Blade**! Those things are super rare, man! That's great!"

"Shall we?"

"Fine," Kai agrees, pointing at the seat Miwa sat in. "Oh, it's on."

I rolled my eyes. 'Boys...'

* * *

I was looking at my deck, again, as the two idiots battled it out.

Again.

" _Oh, come on! Why_ is my luck so bad today?!"

" _Today?_ Don't you mean _every_ day?" I ask sarcastically.

" _Hey!_ " "Nice one, Himeko~"

Kai scoffs and says, "Your _luck_ doesn't matter. Now, ride the Vanguard!" The entrance to the shop opens, causing Misaki and I to look towards it.

"Welcome," I greet, Misaki leaving it to me and returning to her book. "Oh, thank you..." he says, looking around. His eyes land on the table Kai and Morikawa were playing at. "Hm?" My eyes lingered on him for a moment. 'What is this power I sense...this couldn't be what the reading meant, could it? But what is it in him that I'm feeling?' I felt myself pouting, something I do unconsciously when I can't figure something out.

"That's six damage, so I win."

I was brought out of my thoughts by the declaration. "And Morikawa, zero," I mutter.

"No way! Let's play again," he says.

Miwa takes a card from his hand and says, "We're finished here. Hey, heads up, buddy!" Miwa throws the card, **Blaster Blade** landing in front of Kai. 'He looks...serious.' "Hey, man, cheer up! You won!" Miwa tells his best friend. The guy who had walked into the shop headed over to their table. "This should be interesting," I say, leaning onto the counter.

"Gi-Give me my card back!" he says.

"Who's this?" Miwa asks. "Aichi..."

'Aichi?' I thought.

"Morikawa, hand it over. Come on, it means a lot to me!"

"Hey, I don't have it," he says, not looking at Aichi, as I assumed that was his name.

"When you say "card", do you mean that one?" Miwa asks, pointing to the **Blaster Blade** in front of Kai. "Yeah, that's it! That's my card!" Aichi says, reaching out to grab it. Before he could take it back, Kai swipes it away and holds it between his forefinger and middle finger. "Please give it back," Aichi says.

"No way. This card belongs to me," Kai tells him. "Hey..." Miwa blurts out. Kai stands up and says, "It's important that we respect the terms and conditions of a Vanguard battle, don't you think? This guy bet me the card and _lost_."

"Well...can I have it?" Aichi asks.

"Sorry, but when you lose a card in battle, you've gotta fight to get it back," I say, causing them to look at me. I raise an eyebrow, "What? I'm not just part of the staff, y'know." I notice begin to look determined as he look back at Kai.

"Well then, why don't you fight me for it!" he declares.

"Huh?" I blurt out, followed by Miwa, Misaki, Morikawa and...that other guy.

"Hm, okay, kid. It's a deal," Kai says, a sort of smile appearing onto his face. "Hold on! 'Ya can't fight him! You've never even played Vanguard before!" Morikawa says. "You don't have a deck, do you?"

"It's true, I've never played," Aichi began, digging through his schoolbag and taking out a deck. "But I built this deck just in case I ever got the chance to play." "Say what..."

"Take a seat and get comfy," Kai tells him, pointing to the seat in front of him. "Move along, loser boy~ Hey, Himeko! Come on over and help teach this guy how to play, would 'ya?" Miwa calls me.

"...Do I have to?"

"Just do it," Misaki tells me.

Sighing, I make my way over and stand at the side of the table.

"What are you so happy about, huh?" Morikawa asks Miwa. " _This battle!_ We're about to witness a match between one of the best players in the store and a guy who's never played the game! This is gonna be _hilarious_!"

"Stop saying Kai's the best! With the right cards, I'm sure I could've..." he trails off. I glared at the two, causing them to flinch back in fright. "Could you two just shut up? I can't teach him how to play if you two keep making noise."

They nod furiously and say, "Yes, ma'am!"

"Since this is your first time, Himeko and I will explain the rules as we go, okay?" Aichi nods and says, "Sure."

"Oh yeah. You're not gonna stand much of a chance against me unless you have this **Blaster Blade** back in your deck," Kai says. "Yes, that's right."

"So, you can _borrow_ it until I beat you and take it back," he says, handing **Blaster Blade** over to Aichi. "Th-Thank you."

"Going soft, tough Kai?" I tease with a pun. He rolls his eyes at me in return. "Shut up." He places his deck down and says, "We're only going to explain the rules once, so you better listen. And no coaching, Himeko." It was my turn to roll my eyes at him. "Got it."

"Let's start."

"Right."

They bring their cards to the _Vanguard Circle_.

* * *

" _Now, imagine it_ ," Kai begins. "Our spirits have just been transported to the surface of a planet similar to Earth called Cray." My PSY Qualia reacted to his words, bringing me to the Planet Cray along with them as we stood on its surface. "In this form, there are only two powers available to us. First of which allows us to summon the monsters of this planet. The cards in your deck are your units, call to them." We're brought out of Cray and back to Earth. I shake my head slightly as we were brought back. "But first, we both need to draw our starting hands. Got all that?" He nods to me.

Rolling my eyes, I began, "The cards you draw can both attack and defend for you. These," I point to Aichi's hand. "are your units." He opens his hand as I take a card and hold it up in front of him. "Each card has its own grade and powers, and any other abilities will be on the card."

"And then, there's the second power of our spirit form," Kai says. "The power to ride is to possess one of our units. The units that we merge with are called our Vanguards, you follow? The word _Vanguard_ means _the one that leads the way_."

"The Vanguard leads the way.." I hear Aichi say.

"Right. Now the object of the game is to defeat your opponent by landing attacks on their Vanguard. The card in front of you is a _Grade 0_ unit, right?" I ask. "Yes," he replies. "Alright, flip it over," I say, nodding to Kai to do the same.

"Ready? Stand up, the Vanguard. **Lizard Runner, Undeux**."

"For me... **Stardust Trumpeter** , stand up."

I felt my PSY Qualia working again, taking me to see the battle on Cray. "Our Vanguards are ready for battle on the Planet Cray. It'll be easier for me to explain if I take the first turn, even though she's helping out," Kai says. "Alright."

"You start each turn by drawing a card. Each turn you can promote your Vanguard using a unit of no more than one grade above. Stack that unit on top of the Vanguard. Ride the **Embodiment of Armor, Bahr**! Now once your Vanguard is promoted, you can summon lower grade support units to the battlefield. These are called the _Rear Guard_. I call the **Flame of Hope, Aermo**! I now have two units on the field. And with them, I attack." I stopped PSY Qualia, noticing Aichi become shocked at the declaration of an attack. I scoffed as Kai said, "Except that you can't attack on the first turn." Aichi let out a sigh of relief. "The downside of going first. Your turn," Kai tells him.

"Right. I'll draw a card. Then, I'll promote. Ride **Little Sage, Marron**! A-And call **Wingal** , too!" he places the units onto the battlefield.

"Well, it looks like we both have two units in play. So, are you attacking?" Kai asks. "I...I'll attack you."

"Alright, then turn your Vanguard to signal the attack," I tell him. Aichi does as he's told and says, "Then I attack your **Bahr** with **Little Sage, Marron**!"

"When your Vanguard attacks, you can increase its power by supporting it with one of your _Rear Guards_ ," I add.

"In that case, I'll add **Wingal's** power to **Marron's** attack."

"When your Vanguard attacks, you need to reveal the top card of your deck and check for a _Drive trigger_." Aichi takes the card from the top of the deck and holds it up. "If you see a mark in the upper right corner, that means it's a trigger. If not, add it to your hand," I tell him. "Then, my attack when through?" he asks, putting **Marron** into his hand.

"Uh huh," Kai and I say at the same time.

"Okay..."

"Your attack overwhelmed my Vanguard," Kai says as he draws a card. "This is the damage from that hit. Now, if you can deal me five more damage, then my forces will vanish from the surface of the planet. That means I lose. Does it all make sense?" he asks. "Uh, yeah," Aichi replies.

"Well, it's good to see that you're catching on. My turn. Ride the **Dragon Knight, Nehalem** ," Kay says as he stacks Nehalem onto the Vanguard Circle. "I call **Bahr**. Ride the Vanguard!"

"No more Mr. Nice Kai, 'ey?" Miwa comments. I glance over to Misaki, who returned my glance. ***sigh*** 'Boys...'

"I attack **Marron** with **Bahr**!"

"Um, **Bahr** and **Marron** both have the exact same attack power, so then..."

"If the power is equal, then the attack goes through," I cut him off. "But if this attack goes through now, you'll be able to hit me again with the **Dragon Knight, Nehalem** afterwards. Then I'll take two damage, right?" Aichi asks. "Yes, but you can weaken your opponent's attack by defending with the cards in your hand," I remind him.

"Then... I guard with the **Bringer of Good Luck, Epona**!"

"The number on the side of the card becomes your damage shield," I point out. " **Bahr's** power isn't high enough to break through. His attack has no effect, but now **Epona** has to go into the _Drop Zone_."

"Next, I attack **Marron** with the **Dragon Knight, Nehalem** combined with the Rear Guard's power," Kai declares. "I...don't guard."

"Not that I need it, but I'll check for a _Drive trigger_ ," he says, earning a scoff from me. Kai doesn't land a trigger, thus earning an extra card in his hand. **Nehalem's** attack goes through, both players now at one damage each. "'Kay, now it's your move."

"Right. Ride the **Knight of Silence, Gallatin**!" Aichi stacks the next grade onto the Vanguard Circle. "And, I call **Marron** and **Flogal**!" **Marron** and **Flogal** are called to the _Rear Guards_. "I use **Gallatin** with the support of **Wingal** to attack **Nehalem**!" **Gallatin** attacks **Nehalem** with 16000 power, both players proceed to make a _Drive check_ and _Damage check_. "Then **Marron** with the power of **Flogal** will attack **Nehalem** again!" **Flogal** raises **Marron's** power to 13000, prepared to attack Kai's Vanguard.

"I can't let you do that," he says, taking one of his units to guard **Nehalem**. "Your attempt fails."

"Then... In that case, I guess my turn's over."

I looked at Aichi. 'He must be thinking that they can continue trading damage until he gain the upper hand... Sadly, that's not Kai's play style' I thought. 'He may not even be able to make any more than two damage'

"Hn, why do you look so _relieved?_ " Kai asks. Aichi lets a small gasp escape as Kai continues, "Did you seriously _think_ I was gonna let it end this way?" He draws a card and says, "Time for your final lesson."

Well, guess I can leave now.

I move away from the table and walk back to the counter. " _Ah, finally~_ Something I can _lean_ on," I sigh, leaning onto the counter. "You _could_ just get a stool and sit there, y'know," Misaki tells me. "But I like leaning on the counter~"

"I call **Wyvern Strike, Tejas** and **Jarran**! Picture it, the assault that I'm about to begin. First, I attack **Marron** with **Bahr**."

"I guard with **Flogal**!" **Flogal** blocks the attack.

"Hah. Then I come for **Gallatin** with the combined might of **Jarran** and **Tejas** ," he says. "I can't stop that..."

"That's right. And these two get special bonus for supporting each other. An extra 4000 power!" The power of **Tejas** increases by 8000, becoming an attack with 18000 power. "Now I have two damage, as well. Guess we're tied," Aichi states.

 _Oh, how naive._

" _Oh?_ Who said I was finished attacking you? I attack **Gallatin** with **Nehalem** supported by **Aermo**!" "Over 16000?" Aichi asks in disbelief. "You sure that's _all?_ " Kai checks for a _Drive trigger_ and gets, " **Embodiment of Spear, Tahr**. But just look what's in the corner."

"When a mark appears in the upper right corner of the card you draw, it gives you an extra 5000 power and increases the damage of the attack by one. Meaning, he got a _Critical Trigger_ ," I say from the counter.

"Then, that means-" "This one is gonna hit you for two damage. And once I _get_ the lead, I _don't_ give it up," Kai says. The **Dragon Knight, Nehalem** boosted by **Aermo** and the trigger raises its power 21000. After the attack goes through, Aichi jumps back in his seat. My eyes widen slightly as I see this. 'Don't tell me he's able to...'

"You were able to picture it, I see. Witness true Vanguard!" Aichi sits back in his chair properly, pouting.

"Guess it's all over," Miwa says. "If it was me, I could still make a comeback," Morikawa states.

'Yeah, right'

"It's your turn," Kai tells Aichi. I go behind the counter to get another lollipop and notice Misaki look away from her book. 'Hm? Don't tell me she's interested' I thought as I look back at the table to see Aichi draw a card. He looks...relieved?

"What's up? Have you lost the will to continue fighting?" Kai asks. Aichi shakes his head and laughs a bit. "You're really good, but still...this battle is a lot of fun," he says.

"Do you know him or something?" Miwa asks.

"I always hoped that one day, I would get the chance to battle with you." 'So he does know Kai...'

"So then you're Aichi...Sendou, right?" Kai asks him.

"That's right, Kai. And you gave me the power to stand here before you today," he says, revealing **Blaster Blade** in his hand. "I see."

"Let's go! Arise, my avatar! Ride, **Blaster Blade**!"

* * *

 _ **Who's your Vanguard?**_

* * *

 **This was long. Next chapter coming up! Internet keeps shutting off for large portions of the day, I cry.**

 **R &R? Tell me what you think? Contribute your ideas! I'll take 'em all ~ Well?**

 _ **Ride, Blaster Blade!**_

* * *

 **ffxshilayt aka Shila -**


	2. Ride 2

_**Stand up, my Vanguard!**_

* * *

 **Author's Corner!**

 **Continuation of Aichi versus Kai and the rest of the ride. Enjoy ~**

 **R &R ~ Read On**

* * *

 **Legend: ' ' are thoughts, " " are characters speaking, *bold* are actions done by characters/sfx/Vanguard units, italics represent past events/memories/text/mail/emphasis/Vanguard terms, and bold italics time skips.**

 **WARNING: May contain OOC, various point-of-view, and possible lemons!**

* * *

 **Ride 2 : Ride to Victory!**

* * *

 _"So then you're Aichi..._ _Sendou, right?" Kai asks him._

 _"That's right, Kai. And you gave me the power to stand here before you today," he says, revealing **Blaster Blade** in his hand. "I see."_

 _"Let's go! Arise, my avatar! Ride,_ _**Blaster Blade**!"_

* * *

" **Blaster Blade** , huh?"

"Man, what luck. With cards like that, he actually stands a chance."

"I activate **Blaster Blade's** ability! Paying two from my _Damage Zone_ , I retire one of your _Rear Guards_ ," Aichi says. Kai proceeds to remove on of his _Rear Guard_ units and place them into the _Drop Zone_.

"I remember you now. Aichi Sendou. You were the kid with scuff marks all over your face," Kai says.

"Yeah. In those days, I was getting beaten up so much that I almost didn't wanna go to school anymore. I felt like the world around me was collapsing."

 _A young Aichi walked along the sidewalk, scratches all over his face._

 _At that moment, a young Kai was tying his shoe as Aichi passed him by. "Huh?"_

 _"Man, you're a mess! Did you lose a fight or something?" he asks, Aichi stopping in his tracks to look at Kai before looking away and walking off. Kai sweatdrops with a grin and walks in front of him._

 _"Hey, kid, hang on!"_

 _"Hm?"_

 _He holds out a copy of_ Blaster Blade _and says, "Here, check it out. I want you to have this." Aichi takes the_ Blaster Blade _from Kai and looks at it. "You've got a_ rea~lly _tough warrior in your hands there," Kai says. "So come on! Cheer up already!" Aichi was taken aback. "Try to imagine yourself becoming powerful like the warrior on that card I just gave you!" he says, his eyes shining brightly as he speaks about the Vanguard._

 _"Bu-But I can't..."_

 _Kai gives a haughty laugh and says, "Well, no. Not at first, I guess. But if you believe in yourself, then nothing can stand in the way of you getting big and strong like **Blaster Blade**!"_

 _"I'll get strong?" Aichi asks from behind the card._

 _"From now on, that image can be your power."_

Himeko, as she listened to the story, had pulled out a tarot card. " _Temperance Upright_ , a purpose and a long-term goal...," she mutters.

"Ever since I got that card, life has been a little better each day. From the moment you gave this to me, I wanted nothing more than to battle you. I even obsessed over picking the cards I would use to build my deck. But before I could finish building it, you moved away," Aichi says.

"Yeah."

"You know, while I was making this deck, I managed to forget all the awful things in the world around me. I still can't really picture myself as being any stronger. But the person who showed me how to be happy again...was you Kai!"

Kai flinched a bit, Himeko noticing his reaction. 'What's up with him?' she thought.

"I call the **Knight of Silence, Gallatin** to _Rear Guard!_ This battle is my way of saying "Thank you" for helping me believe in myself. That's all I needed," Aichi says. "I support **Blaster Blade** with **Wingal** and attack **Nehalem**!" The two check for a _Drive trigger_ and _Damage trigger_ , Kai receiving one damage. "And next, I'll support **Marron** with **Flogal** , attacking **Nehalem** again." Kai does nothing and takes another damage, putting him at four. "I'll attack **Nehalem** one more time with **Gallatin**!"

"Wow, a triple attack?"

"This _can't_ be the same Aichi Sendou from school."

The two units have the same power level, so the attack goes through. This puts Kai at five damage.

"Five damage?"

"One more and it's all over for him. Kai's finally gonna lose!"

"If you think that Kai can't finish the game with the next turn, then you're mistaken," Himeko says from the counter, causing the three- Izaki, Morikawa and Miwa to look at her. Miwa agrees and says, "Yeah, he hasn't even broke in sweat yet. Look. He's got some plan."

"Alright, it's your turn now," Aichi tells him. Kai smirks and says, "I showed you how to be _happy?_ I think you misunderstood, _little boy._ I didn't care about your feelings one bit. I just wanted you to start playing Vanguard so I could beat you in a way those bullies never could."

'Way to play the villain, tough Kai' Himeko thought.

'Kai, you wouldn't do that sort of thing' Miwa thought knowingly.

"Th-That's a lie! The Kai I know would never do something like that!" Aichi says.

"Hah, be quiet! I'm not the person you admire. You've made up some fairytale in your head. I... I..." he draws a card, smirking once he saw what it was. "I guess it's about time I show you who I _really_ am. Ride the Vanguard! Burn everything in this world to ashes with your apocalyptic fire! **Dragonic Overlord**!"

" **Dragonic Overlord** , a _Grade 3_ unit with 11000 power... Kai's avatar. Well, this game's over," Himeko mutters, leaning over the counter to get another lollipop.

"It's...amazing."

"Hn, this battle is over," Kai says. "I call two **Monicas**. And then, I pay three from my _Damage Zone_ to activate **Dragonic Overlord's** _Counter Blast_. **Dragonic Overlord's** power just went up by 5000." This puts **Dragonic Overlord** at 16000 power. "Shall we? I support **Bahr** with **Monica** , and I attack your **Blaster Blade**!"

" **Stardust Trumpeter** , guard me!" Aichi guards with Stardust Trumpeter, a 10000 point shield. **Stardust Trumpeter** blocks **Bahr's** first attack, reducing his power back to 8000. However, the attack can still go through as **Blaster Blade** is at 9000 power.

"I'm not through yet! I support **Monica** with **Jarran** and attack **Blaster Blade**!" **Monica's** power increases to 11000.

"I guard with **Gallatin**!" **Gallatin** , with a 5000 point shield, blocks the attack, reducing **Monica's** power back to 6000. 'That was his last card...' Himeko thought.

"Hmm, used up your _entire hand_ to hold me back? It's too bad for you that my attacks aren't even _close_ to over, yet," Kai says. " **Dragonic Overlord** , it's your turn now. With **Aermo's** support, attack **Gallatin**!"

" **Gallatin**? Why?" Aichi questions his motives. **Dragonic Overlord's** power increases to 21000, taking out **Gallatin**. "And now, let's check the _Drive trigger_." No trigger.

" **Gallatin** is retired," Aichi says, placing **Gallatin** in the _Drop Zone_.

"Alright then. **Dragonic Overlord** , stand up." Aichi lets his mouth drop as Kai stands **Dragonic Overlord**. "Oh my. Looks like you weren't aware of the **Dragonic Overlord's** special ability. When his _Counter Blast_ is activated, and if he defeats an opponent's _Rear Guard_ , then he stands back up. I won't stop attacking until all your units are burnt to a crisp. That's **Dragonic Overlord's** ability. Eternal Flame!"

"Then you're-" Aichi starts, only to be cut off by Kai. "Attacking **Marron**. And I think I'll check the _Drive trigger_ here, too." No trigger.

 **Marron** falls into the _Drop Zone_. " **Marron** is also retired," Aichi says.

"Just like the last time, **Dragonic Overlord** stands up." "Oh no..."

 _And the commentators begin._

"Now we're talkin'."

"Could you imagine if I had one of those cards in my deck? I just need to score one, and it'll be all winnin', all the time!" Morikawa exclaims. The two female workers, Misaki and Himeko, looked at him incredulously before giving an exasperated sigh.

"Now for the final swing, I use **Dragon Overlord** to attack **Blaster Blade** ," Kai says. Aichi, his hand no longer, was not able to defend his attack as Kai checks for a trigger. "Now _that's_ a pretty sweet bonus!" he says, revealing a _Critical Trigger_. " **Tahr's** trigger adds 5000 power to my attack!" With this, **Dragonic Overlord's** power goes back up to 21000. "Now this trigger gives a critical effect, adding +1 to attack damage."

This shocks Aichi. "But that means..!"

" _That's right._ Another _two_ damage to add to the four damage you've already taken. It's over." Aichi checks the _Damage triggers_ , placing one damage into the Damage Zone. He checks for the second trigger and pulls...a _Heal Trigger_.

"Hey, this is-" "The **Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine** ," Kai says for him.

"What is that?" Morikawa asks.

" **Yggdrasil Maiden, Elaine** ," Miwa repeats what Kai said, slightly confused or amused.

"A _Heal Trigger_." "Huh?" Aichi blurts out as he looks to Misaki, who looked away and back at her book, then looking to Himeko, who was standing by the table once more and pointing at the trigger. "When you trigger it, you can take a card back from your _Damage Zone_ as long as you have more damage than your opponent," she tells him, crossing her arms as she stands by the table. "Then, that means..."

"That the battle isn't over yet," Kai finishes for him, bemused. Smirking, he says, "It's your time to shine, Aichi Sendou."

Aichi clenches his fists, determined, and says, "Thank you."

"Aichi's back on the attack, and Kai's got five damage. All it's gonna take is one more hit and this fight's over," Morikawa states. "Looks like Aichi's gonna win."

"Too close to call," Miwa says. "Kai's such a good player, there's no telling what he might do."

"I agree," Himeko says, arms still crossed as she passes a side-glance at Kai.

"I don't believe any of that stuff you said to me earlier," Aichi tells Kai. "Oh yeah?"

"You expect me to believe that you only gave me this **Blaster Blade** card so that you could bully me later. But, if that's the case, then...I don't think this card would have inspired me to get stronger, or given me the courage that it did," he explains.

Kai scoffs and says, "What a joke."

Aichi shakes his head and says, "No. No matter what you say, this **Blaster Blade** has been...really important to me. And that will never change." Kai narrows his eyes at him as he continues, "I'll always remember how pathetic I must've seemed the day you were nice enough to give me this card. I really looked up to you. My memory tells me the truth! I can picture the way this battle is going to end. I can picture my **Blaster Blade** as he leads the way to victory!"

At this, Himeko lets out a small gasp, her PSY Qualia activating for a second as she sees Aichi take on **Blaster Blade's** appearance.

"Huh? You okay there, Himeko?" Miwa asks her, noticing her stagger and hold her head. "Ah, it's nothing...sorry," she says, going back to the counter and resting her head in her arms as she leans down on it, leaving Miwa to look at her confused.

* * *

"I call **Elaine**!" Aichi says, placing **Elaine** on one of the _Rear Guard Circles_. "I support **Elaine** with **Flogal**!" **Elaine's** power increases to 11000. "And I attack your **Dragonic Overlord**!"

Smirking, Kai takes one of the four cards in his hand and says, "I guard with **Tahr**!" With a 10000 point shield, **Tahr** blocks **Elaine's** attack. "You don't stand a chance," Kai tells him.

"Woah, he blocked the attack!"

"Come on, Aichi!"

"If Kai can manage to defend against this next assault, there's no way Aichi would ever be able to survive another turn against him," Miwa states. "In other words, Kai's gonna win."

Himeko stops resting her head on the counter and looks back at the table, her face scrunched up slightly. 'He only has one more attempt, but Kai only has one defensive card. That means...his defense power is at 21000' she thought. 'The attack power of **Blaster Blade** is 9000, plus **Wingal's** 6000\. The ability adds 4000... That won't be enough, unless...'

"This is it. I attack you with **Blaster Blade**!"

The other kids in the shop stopped their own fights to watch Aichi battle it out with Kai.

 **Blaster Blade** standing at 19000, while **Dragonic Overlord** stood at 11000. 'I've been dreaming of this battle since we were kids!' Kai smirks. "I guard with **Tahr**! Sorry, but your attack isn't gonna get through this time." Aichi grits his teeth.

'I've come this far. Please..!' he thought as he checks for a _Drive trigger_. "This is..!"

Himeko, not needing to be near to know what he pulled, says, " _Drive trigger_ activated. Raising attack power by 5000 and power by one." Izaki and Morikawa gape. "Then, that means..." With **Epona** , **Blaster Blade's** power increases to 24000 and his critical +1. Taking out **Tahr's** 10000 point shield reduces **Blaster Blade** to 14000, who continues the attack on **Dragonic Overlord**. This brings Kai to a total of six damage.

"That hit proved to be too much, even for my **Dragonic Overlord**. And now, I'm a spirit again. My units have been removed from the Planet Cray," he says. "So you've..."

"I...have lost."

Kai takes his cards of the playmat as Miwa beams at the results of the fight. "Dude, you beat him!" Kai abruptly gets up from his seat, reaching over to **Blaster Blade** and sliding it towards Aichi.

"But Kai!"

Kai turns around, not leaving before saying, "Looks like that was your card, after all."

"Ah, hey! Wait up!" Miwa calls after him. Kai leaves the store, Miwa trailing after him with "Come on!" as Aichi remains at the entrance.

"Hey Kai!"

The two stop mid-walk as Aichi says, "Thanks a lot!" Miwa grins at him, then stuttering as Kai did not reply and instead, walked off. Aichi watched their backs as they left. 'I did it' he thought as he looked at **Blaster Blade**.

Morikawa, no longer amused, and Izaki pack their things and leave the store.

Himeko and Misaki look towards Aichi as he stood at the entrance. Himeko fishes through the shop apron's pocket, pulling out a Tarot card. ' _The Star Upright_...

...a sense of hope and inspiration'

* * *

 _ **The Next Day**_

Distraught, Aichi finds himself back at Card Capital. Himeko, who had arrived from the opposite direction, looks at him and greets him. "Oh, hey Aichi." "Oh, uh hi..." he trails off.

"Himeko Tokura, nice to meet you," she says.

"Aichi Sendou, likewise."

They walk into the store together, greeting Misaki. "Hello again," he greets quietly. "Hey Misaki, Manager," Himeko greets them.

"Hi guys," Misaki greets back just as quietly.

Himeko walks behind the counter, putting down her school bag and taking off her blazer. Aichi looks to the tables and says, "Nobody's here."

"Well, it is still early," Misaki tells him, Himeko going to the supply closet for a shop apron. "Yeah, I guess that must be it."

Aichi walks over to the table he sat at yesterday, placing his bag onto the table as he does. Himeko walks out of the supply closet, letting her hair down from its high ponytail as she notices Aichi's depression. 'He seems down' she thought as he sighed. She and Misaki go up to the table, one crossing her arms and the other placing a hand on her hip. Misaki asks, "Are you waiting for someone?"

"Yes. But I don't know if he's coming. The guy I battled, he...probably hates me," he tells them sadly. 'And after all those years of waiting.'

Manager Cat meows, causing the two females to look towards the entrance. Himeko says, "Y'know, I wouldn't be so sure about that."

Aichi looks up as she says this and blurts out a "Huh?" as Kai and Miwa walk into the store. He stands up from the table, a smile appearing on his face as he says, "Kai, you're here!"

"Hey there, Aichi. Glad to see you back," Kai greets, followed by Miwa who says, "Hey, new guy!"

"Uh... I was...hoping that..."

Miwa chuckles as they walk towards the three and says, "Say no more, buddy. How 'bout you play me today?"

They look towards the entrance as they hear the automated glass door slide open. "No way, I got dibs on that small fry," Morikawa declares. "Then me!" Izaki says from behind him. Their eyes ball as they step back in surprise from seeing Kai.

"What's the matter?" Kai asks them.

"Thanks a lot for coming down, you guys," Aichi says.

Miwa goes into a fit of laughter, saying "So good!" as Izaki and Morikawa walk towards them. Misaki and Himeko, no longer wanting to stick around the ruckus, walk back to the counter near the entrance as kids run into the store. "Don't run," they say together. Quickly, the store filled with fighters as they sat at their own tables with their friends. Himeko looked away from the deck she was given as a child, now smiling at the sight of the customers happily playing Vanguard together.

'Death was right. A new beginning _has_ come'

* * *

 _ **Who's your Vanguard?**_

* * *

 **Fight explanations though, just like AGH.**

 **Anyway, R &R? Tell me what you think? Contribute your ideas! I'll take 'em all ~ Well?**

 _ **Ride, Dragonic Overlord!**_

* * *

 **ffxshilayt aka Shila -**


End file.
